According to sources, turning on the pb when the battery was very depleted or ZERO after months only drags the charge back down. So either leave it overnight without trying to restart it or

Locked, bricked Stack Charge Charging

More Mapsonburt:

Don't keep trying if you get the Red light/5 Yellows... you'll soon drag the battery down past where you can start it again. Leave it off, plug it in and let it charge (with at least a 1.8A charger). Once you get the flashing (once every few seconds) green light, you can power it up - on the charger. If you do drag it down below the red flash/5 yellows, plug it in for 1 minute, unplug (at the wall) for a second or so, plug it back in and repeat for 20-30 minutes. You'll eventually get the red/yellows and then leave it plugged in (and off) until you get the flashing green. It's a PITA but the PlayBook has a very conservative charging algorithm when the battery is below 2.67 Volts to prevent explosions (I'm guessing). I've never been unable to start one with that method.

Mapsonburt:

The PlayBook OS currently shuts down at 3.5 volts. When the battery gets below 2.67V it won't show power lights or even try to start because there isn't enough juice to even power the processor to run the code on the BIOS. The BIOS is software hard coded on a chip within the PlayBook that tells it how to load the PlayBook OS and is coded such that it only recognizes signed PlayBook boot images (which is why it is so hard to root and that nobody has been able to get one to boot Android or WebOS. The BIOS software also contains some charging algorithms for when the OS is not running - ie device is powered off but plugged into a charging source. This code ONLY runs when the battery is above 2.67 volts because the processor can't run below that.

The root of the problem is that this design issue prevents the device from accepting any charge longer than 60 seconds when the battery is too low to run the charging algorithms on the BIOS or on the OS (one runs before the device is powered on and one runs afterwards). RIM did this because Lithium Ion batteries have a nasty habit of catching fire if not charged properly so they wanted to ensure that the processor could be in control of the charging. Makes perfect sense and they probably thought they were avoiding situations like where early Li Ion batteries on laptops were catching on fire. The problem is they were a bit too aggressive in dealing with the problem at design stage. If the battery is below 2.67Volts their protective algorithms can't run but you also can't put enough charge into the battery to charge it! Hence all the reports of people having success with stack charging.

Unfortunately there are a lot of wrong ways to do this floating around out there and getting repeated everyone someone posts a new thread on the issue. It really should be made a sticky. What is the right way?

1) ONLY use a source that provides 1.7Amps or more of charge. The original charger provides this. The rapid chargers provide a lot more. Your phone charger only provides a fraction of this. Anything less is going to take forever to charge the battery above 2.67 volts and may not have enough juice to charge the battery AT ALL once the processor starts to run above 2.67Volts or even worse once the OS starts to run above 3.5Volts. Forget about using your computer to charge it when the OS isn't running as the computer looks for the hardware to identify itself and won't put out a full charge current unless the device indicates it can accept. Once the OS is running, you'd often CAN get enough power from the USB on the computer but that is because the OS has signaled it is OK for the computer to send it. When the OS/BIOS isn't running, the PlayBook won't take much/any charge from a computer. The rapid chargers are best as they quickly charge but more importantly do not use the (too) flimsy USB port. A lot of problems are caused by this port getting wobbly over time and the device not getting a charge at all. Everyone should have a rapid charger.

2) Until you get your device WELL above the 3.5Volts that let's the PlayBook boot, do NOT try to start it. Every attempt drags the battery down some more and that attempt sucks much more charge from the battery than you can put in in those 60 seconds before the hardware shuts down the charging. How can you tell where your battery is? Well if you are getting no lights on the playbook on your first charging attempt you are below 2.67volts. If lights go on and then it doesn't start the OS it is below 3.5Volts. If it loads the OS and then dies it is just above 3.5Volts. If the device loads the OS it is somewhere below 5.0Volts. Depending upon where you start (how low the battery is) various techniques work best. They are: REAL stack charging (plug in for 60 seconds, unplug, plug in for 60 seconds, repeat until the processor starts accepting charging (the big battery symbol on the screen). Again, DO NOT try to turn the device on until then. You are just working against yourself and it will take much longer. You should get the charging symbol within 20-45 minutes of repeated REAL stack charging. Forget you ever heard of plugging in for 2 mins and then off for 2 mins and similar as those 2 mins of off time are COMPLETELY worthless. I have put a multimeter on the PlayBook in this state and it NEVER takes more than a minute of charge when under 2.67volts but will accept another minute of charge after a short (1-2 second) disconnection. Just do it right.

3) Once you see that charging screen leave it plugged in to the charger (stop stack charging) for at least an hour before you try to start the PlayBook. If you don't you may end up in a situation where the attempt to start drags that battery back down below 2.67V and you have start stack charging again. Be patient, you are almost there!

4) Fully charge your Playbook after this to ensure your PlayBook gets back to 100%.

Unfortunately, there isn't a lot RIM can do about this now. It's a hardware design issue. I'd be interested in knowing if the fixed it with the 4G versions. I don't think I've ever seen that complaint with one of those but I've "fixed" both of mine a few times (the kids keep trying to power them on after letting them shut down on low battery despite me saying time RUN not walk and put it on a rapid charger when ever it hits the flashing red battery signal (9%). I've also helped many friends and people on the web and NOBODY who has followed the instructions has failed to get their PlayBook to charge.

I'm convinced this fault is the reason so many PlayBooks are returned to the stores and through RMA. RIM has been very good about this but it should never have happened. Happy Charging!

HOLD the power key for 20 seconds, after 20 Seconds do not let go of the power button and plug in the wall charger, and then let go... should get a steady red light for about 10 seconds, then the battery icon with lightning bolt should appear, after that the blinking green will appear and screen will go off.. now its charginggg..... lol wasted 4 hrs tyrign every other method, stack charging everything.... and this one worked for me...hope this works for everyone else

Now my playbook is successfully charging I would like to add that it only worked with the standard playbook charger. I tried 2 more chargers with this method and both did not successfully charge.

I never had the 1.8A charger, charged thru a .7A that was originally for a storm. Twin wires.

Tried two usb data cables thru .5A, 1A adaptors, both 5V but there wasn't even a "not charging" message.

What gives?

You should find a charger that matches the specs of the original charger. Anything less will be a poor match for the pb. Crackberry sells the pb charger and they sell both the travel rapid charger and the dock version. The pb's standard charger is also sold as a rapid charger for bb phones.

Yes, an 8707 0.5A AC adaptor and an iPhone AC adaptor, both with Usb ports.

I do get the message when plugged into PC on both usb cables.

I was really hoping for the slightly quicker 1A to work.

You might get the 1a to work if you use a charge only cable or make one of your cables into charge only. Chargers designed for Apple devices do not have the correct connections on the Data lines to tell the Playbook it can draw more than .5 amp from the USB cord. To turn a USB cable into a charge only cable, slit it open, cut the two thin data lines, strip them and twist the two together so a connection is made to the Playbook end of the cable. Leave the data lines going to the USB charger disconnected.

I use a Belkin Apple charger to overnight charge my Playbook, as the slower charge seems to improve the battery health indicated in batteryguru. It is either a 1a or 1.2a.

You might get the 1a to work if you use a charge only cable or make one of your cables into charge only. Chargers designed for Apple devices do not have the correct connections on the Data lines to tell the Playbook it can draw more than .5 amp from the USB cord. To turn a USB cable into a charge only cable, slit it open, cut the two thin data lines, strip them and twist the two together so a connection is made to the Playbook end of the cable. Leave the data lines going to the USB charger disconnected.

I use a Belkin Apple charger to overnight charge my Playbook, as the slower charge seems to improve the battery health indicated in batteryguru. It is either a 1a or 1.2a.

Okay spliced a usb data cable, plugged into the iphone 1A charger and it gives the "unable to charge" message. Tried it without hooking d+-, message pops up as well. Tried the splice on a storm, unable to charge as well.

Okay spliced a usb data cable, plugged into the iphone 1A charger and it gives the "unable to charge" message. Tried it without hooking d+-, message pops up as well. Tried the splice on a storm, unable to charge as well.

Did you connect the two data lines going to the PlayBook? I also now get the unable to.charge warning, but it does charge, using a charge only cable and the Belkin charger. I think the message started appearing again with the latest software, so it may also test the current draw in addition to the cable settings and give the error. Otherwise, the phone chargers, which do not supply enough current, would not give the error. In the early days of the PlayBook, a lot of people were trying to charge using their phone charger and having problems.

Did you connect the two data lines going to the PlayBook? I also now get the unable to.charge warning, but it does charge, using a charge only cable and the Belkin charger. I think the message started appearing again with the latest software, so it may also test the current draw in addition to the cable settings and give the error. Otherwise, the phone chargers, which do not supply enough current, would not give the error. In the early days of the PlayBook, a lot of people were trying to charge using their phone charger and having problems.

If you get BatteryGuru, it will confirm charge rate.

Mine's discharging on the 1A. Yeah both data was connected, i checked for continuity. Also tried without. Mindboggles me that my .7A BB charger with twin wire works, albeit slowly but no message. PC charging appears to charge as well despite message.

Thank you iblakejames!!!
The way you got yours started via the 20 second method worked for my Moms playbook just now.
I had tried my rapid charger and one that came with her PlayBook and I couldn't get it to do anything.
Now it is charging normally.
I don't know what she did with it. She said she was just on it for about 15 minutes or so checking the news and weather and email.
She turns hers off by pressing the battery indicator which then has the options and turns it off.
It kind of turned off but the screen did not go black kind of like it was in stand by but I couldn't get it to turn on and when we tried plugging in the charger it did not do anything.
I got my rapid charger out and nothing happened.
I did try pressing and holding the power button for long times but the screen never turned black.
I tried lots of ways and your posting about the 20 seconds etc was what worked.
She had another problem about a month ago with her PlayBook apparently not shutting down after she turned it off and she did not know that as she has hers in a Targus Truss case and just thought it was off.
Later when she wanted to use it again in the evening she said the screen was glowing and her PlayBook was hot.
It seemed like it was fully discharged. I could't get it to turn back on.
I ended up stack charging it and it worked again and didn't have anymore problems untill this morning.
We have both had our PlayBooks since September 2012.

I am giving her my Case Mate Pop case since it makes pressing the power button so much easier.
Hopefully she will not have anymore problems with it.

I thank the CrackBerry community for your vast amount of helpful advice.

Originally Posted by iblakejames

I was looking around the forums and this method worked for me:

Now my playbook is successfully charging I would like to add that it only worked with the standard playbook charger. I tried 2 more chargers with this method and both did not successfully charge.

I bought a PlayBook last summer on Ebay could never get it to turn on. Tried to power charge it didn't work. Yesterday I dug it out and tried to power charge it. This time I hooked it to my PC. When I first hooked it up it kept say PB won't charge, just keep hitting retry until the error message goes away. Leave it connected for 2-3 mins then disconnect the cable for 10 seconds and repeat. Do this until the error message is gone then leave it over night on a full charge.

I did this while surfing so no big deal that it took 10+ times (lost count).